Family and friends: Would you defend them?

[medusa 16]

There are more than two sides to stories, in most cases, because the truth quite often lies somewhere else entirely.

 

I have never been in the position of needing to make the decision on whether to defend someone who has committed a crime, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't lie to protect anybody (despite years in sales having given me good practice in being economical with the truth).

 

There is a big difference between lying for someone or covering up the truth, and understanding a little of the motivation behind what happened though- you could empathise with someone in extremis without protecting them or lying for them. I could conceive of empathising with someone who had killed to escape abuse or similar.

[Heyesey 11]

i used to think that, that it would be that easy. but loyalties do cloud your judgement.......which is why people regularly do protect their loved ones.

 

I don't dispute that many people *consider* it a relevant factor; they're wrong. It isn't.

[NorbertColon 10]

so you have absolute faith in the justice system and that they will do the right thing by everyone?

Close enough to absolute to know that most of the time people leave court with a 'not guilty' it actually means 'not proven', which is a very different thing.

[Solomon1 10]

I don't dispute that many people *consider* it a relevant factor; they're wrong. It isn't.

 

please explain H, am not following you....

[stars_gazing 10]

Where's the 'none of the above' ?

[Solomon1 10]

Where's the 'none of the above' ?

 

am not interested in those people honey

[stars_gazing 10]

am not interested in those people honey

 

Lol Fine, I'll get my coat ; don't care who a person is, I wouldn't defend them against any of the above... Not reporting them doesn't count as "defence", does it?

[peacenlove 10]

How is that relevant? People who commit crimes, should be dealt with by the law. What relationship they have to me has no bearing on the crime they committed, it's not a relevant factor.

 

but what relationship they have to you is relevant. what if it was your mum or dad? you wouldnt feel the same way about them being convicted for a crime as you would a complete stranger. also, thats why they have 'personality witnesses' (dont know the proper name for it!) in some court cases, because the relationships they have with people and what type of person they are are relevant factors

[Bago 10]

I was going to choose 'none of the above too'.

It's a biased set of stats !

 

Boo.....

 

You should know better than to do this on the SF. As a socially labelled left-liberal do gooder, I don't think it's right !

[stars_gazing 10]

but what relationship they have to you is relevant. what if it was your mum or dad? you wouldnt feel the same way about them being convicted for a crime as you would a complete stranger. also, thats why they have 'personality witnesses' (dont know the proper name for it!) in some court cases, because the relationships they have with people and what type of person they are are relevant factors

 

Hmmm... That is not necessarily true. Sometimes members of your own family can be your worst enemies. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and asked if he'd help a family member if they were being attacked by a thief upstairs (whether armed or not). He said "no" and that shocked me, but he actually had reasons to "justify himself".

 

Oh and imo character witnesses are a good idea, if interrogated correctly. They're not asked, "So... Do you think person x did it?" They're asked about unrealated incidents and what kind of reaction they feel person x would have to a hypothetical situation etc. If someone told you that one of your family members had been convicted of a crime, depending on the crime, there are some people you'd suspect straight away and others you wouldn't even think of; because you know their personalities so well.

[Harry O 10]

Is it me or do the percentages add up to 150%?

[stars_gazing 10]

Is it me or do the percentages add up to 150%?

 

Yes, because people can choose more than one option.